Thought That Counts
by Charra Loon
Summary: Hanzo's having trouble getting a gift for Mei for White Day; it takes an unlikely source to help him. Part of Hanmei week 2018, prompt: White Day.


Hanzo never had anyone to share White Day with before, not someone he cared about that is. But after Mei gave him a large box of his favorite chocolates, world-wide as opposed to Japanese, he needed some way to return the favor now. Mei loved hot chocolate, Hanzo knew this...so he decided to give her a custom-made blend of hot chocolate mix, with homemade marshmallows. But he saw how in over his head he was in; there were too many ways to make hot chocolate, and he couldn't decide whether to make some that can be used in water or required milk. Further more, he had no idea how to make marshmallows.

He hated to admit it, but he needed help.

Genji and McCree were out of the question; his brother and the cowboy would never let him hear the end of it. He was also uncomfortable asking Mercy for aid in this, but then he was uncomfortable asking anything of her, considering he owed her for correcting his mistake with Genji. He wasn't sure Zenyatta would know, or Torbjörn for that matter unless the engineer consulted his wife about such things. Pharah was in the field; Lúcio was in the middle of a tour, as was Hana, and if he were to tell Tracer...well, he may as well go on the intercom and announce his incompetence in creating a proper White Day gift for Mei to the entire base. Winston would be more discreet and as Mei's best friend, he would know what she liked best, but Hanzo doubted the gorilla knew any recipes that didn't have peanut butter in them. Hanzo found himself walking towards the workshop, where he saw Brigitte tending to Reinhardt's armor.

"Brigitte-san, have you seen Reinhardt?" Hanzo asked. Brigitte looked up from her work right at Hanzo.

"No, I can't say that I have." Brigitte said. "Have you checked the training area?"

"It had not occured to me he would be there, at least not without...well..."

"His armor? I wouldn't put it past him to spar with the droids without it. Why?"

"I...I require his aid about something, but if he is busy—" Brigitte muttered something in Swede Hanzo didn't recognize and walked towards him.

"What is it? Maybe I can help." Hanzo took a deep breath and reminded himself he did need the help, and Brigitte may be one of his few, if not only, options.

"That depends—do you know how to make hot chocolate mix and marshmallows? From scratch?" That had Brigitte stare at him wide-eyed. "It is for Mei."

"Ahh, a present for Mei." She put down her tools and grabbed a tablet. After a few minutes of typing, Hanzo saw the printer run. Brigitte grabbed the printouts and handed them to Hanzo. "Here, a basic marshmallow recipe and one for a hot chocolate mix. Just follow the directions and you should be fine."

" _Domo arigato_ , Brigitte-san! I will not forget this!"

"Don't mention it—ever." Hanzo was already racing back to the kitchen before he heard Brigitte mutter something about 'the love-crazed fool's worse than Reinhardt at times'.

* * *

In the kitchen some time later, Hanzo had gelatin soaking in one bowl and in a pot he had sugar and corn syrup melting. The recipe Brigitte gave him called for light corn syrup, but he only found dark and decided he would make do. He thought the mixture took on a dark coloring, not at all white like marshmallows should be...that gave him an idea. As soon as the hot sugar syrup was poured into the bowl with gelatin with the mixer running, he took out the confectioners' sugar the recipe called for and mixed it with cinnamon. Instead of the vanilla extract, Hanzo used cinnamon extract to flavor the marshmallows. Mei did like cinnamon, and they would go well with the hot chocolate. Once the mixture was done, he poured it into a pan he treated with oil and cinnnamon confectioners' sugar; all that was left was to allow the marshmallows to set before cutting them. He decided to get started on the hot chocolate mixture—he chopped up some chocolate bars he found and was adding them to some cocoa powder with vanilla bean and sugar when Genji came in.

"Hanzo, what brings you— _ANIJA_!" Genji shouted. He was staring in horror at the chocolate bars already chopped finely, all the quicker for them to melt in hot liquid. "My chocolate bars!"

"These were yours?" Hanzo asked, looking horrified. If he had known, he wouldn't have used them.

"I was going to use them to make Angela's White Day present! What have you done?!"

" _Gomen nasai_ , Genji. I had no idea. I was making a hot chocolate mix for Mei." Genji sighed at that. Hanzo pushed the mixture towards Genji. "Perhaps, if you wish, you should use this for Dr. Ziegler. I only have vanilla bean in it, so..."

" _Arigato_ , Hanzo. I think I can work with this, and I finally had gotten her Swiss chocolate too." Genji bowed as he took the mixture, and started adding spices to it and when he was done, looked for a jar to pour the mixture in. He found one, and went to his quarters to fuss with the jar. Hanzo meanwhile was stuck with marshmallows that still needed to set and no hot chocolate to go with it. He looked around the kitchen, there was still some cocoa powder and he saw vanilla powder in one cupboard, along with some powdered milk. That gave him an idea. He mixed those ingriedients in and put them in another jar. By then the marshmallows were set and ready to cut into squares. He had just finished that when Mei came inside.

"Hanzo?" Mei asked. "Brigitte said you were in here—what are you doing?" Hanzo handed her the jar and marshmallows.

"Your White Day gift." Hanzo said. "I made you an instant hot cocoa mix, for when you travel."

"You...Hanzo..."

"And marshmallows—flavored in cinnamon. I..." Mei interrupted him by kissing him.

"I love it, Hanzo. More important, I love you. Thank you!"

"You are welcome, beloved."


End file.
